Journey to You
by lifesizehysteria
Summary: All of the background we didn't get between the flashbacks in 1x09. This is Stef's journey as she decides if she's courageous enough to accept herself, discover love, and take hold of her chance at happiness. (2/?)
1. Chapter 1

"No, Mike. You're not coming," Stef said into the phone. "Because you're drunk," she hissed through clenched teeth, keeping her voice low through her frustration. "Mike, come on. You can't even talk without slurring your words." His voice came through the receiver spitting with anger. "Yelling at me isn't going to change anything. I didn't get you drunk. You can come next time if you can keep yourself sober for an afternoon." Stef leaned against the counter, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers, her eyes closed. Mike's voice grew quiet. She could hear the hurt in his silence and instantly regretted the comment. "I'm sorry, Mike. I didn't mean that. No, don't worry about Brandon." She glanced through the kitchen doorway to her son sitting on the living room floor. Just the sight of him playing happily helped her anger to begin edging away. "I'm dropping him off at my dad's like I was already planning. You can pick him up here tomorrow morning. Take the night to sober up, okay, Mike?" She clicked the phone off and set it back on its cradle.

"Hey, B!" she called as she walked to the living room.

"Mommy! Look!" Brandon pointed at his masterpiece lying on the floor. Pride beamed from his little face. Stef knelt beside him and picked up the picture. Only a green stick-dog was distinguishable amid the rainbow of crayon scribbles.

"It's beautiful, sweetie!" She grabbed him with one arm, pulling him close against her side and kissed the top of his head. He smelled of outside; dirt and grass and sweat. Stef kissed him again before tickling his belly, eliciting shrieks of laughter while he tried to roll away. Her attack continued and she gently pinned him to the rug with one hand. She tickled his neck, his belly, under an arm. Brandon squirmed and giggled, still trying to escape. When the excursion made his breathing grow shallow Stef eased up and pulled him onto her lap. His cheeks were flush and his eyes shown bright up at her. "I love you, B. And I always will."

"I love you, too, Mommy." Stef pulled her boy into her and felt her chest tighten when he wrapped his arms around her neck, squeezing gently. "Mommy, don't cry," he said, pulling back from their hug and looking at her. She blinked rapidly, trying to disperse the tears that had welled in her eyes.

"I'm not crying, baby. I just love you so much that sometimes some has to come out or I'll be too full." She smiled at his little furrowed brow. He was getting too old to fool this way. The truth was she was still so angry with Mike for being drunk this morning. She was tired of feeling like a single parent and emotionally exhausted from arguing every time she had to referee a grown man. But you don't tell that to a five year old. Instead, you plaster on a happy face and enjoy the light he brings you. Even on your darkest days. "You're getting too smart me for me, little man," she said before sighing heavily. His brown hair fell in a shaggy sweep across his forehead. She pushed it back, adding a haircut to her mental checklist that was already a mile long. "Sometimes Mommy gets sad and that's okay. It is _always_ okay to show whatever you feel on the inside. But when Mommy is sad, it is never your fault and you don't have to worry about me, okay?" His face contorted in concentration and she smiled proudly as she watched him think about what she said.

"But Mommy you always make me feel better when I'm sad. Who makes you feel better?" A hiccup of laughter escaped as she looked at her child, full of amazement.

"You do, sweetheart. You always make me feel much better just by being you. But if I'm upset it's never your job to make me happy. Got it?"

He nodded confidently and she kissed his forehead. He wrapped his arms around her neck again and she relaxed into the embrace. These moments with her son made every exhausting second of life worth it. Letting it wash away the stress of the morning's argument, she welcomed the solace. Suddenly, he leaned back and put his little hands on her cheeks, pushing them together and forcing her lips out into a fish face. "Do it, Mommy!" He wiggled in anticipation, the tenderness of the moment gone as quickly as it had come.

Stef forced her voice up high and whined in an exaggerated English accent, "Mummy? Who is Mummy? It is I, Mrs. Crumplebottom! And you, young lad, must go get ready because you are off to see your grandfather!"

"Grampa!" Brandon squealed happily. He jumped up and ran down the hall to his bedroom.

"Just one toy," Stef called, dropping the accent. "You have lots of toys at Grandpa's." After pushing herself off the floor she went to the door, grabbed her purse, and slid on her shoes. Grabbing Brandon's Velcro sneakers as he padded down the hallway toward her she said, "Get your shoes on, kiddo. We've got to go." He sat on the floor to put his shoes on (the right feet on the first try this time) and they headed out the door; his favorite blue toy monkey in tow.

After getting Brandon settled into his booster seat they were on their way. The drive from the two bedroom house she and Mike rented, though since the separation she now occupied it solely with Brandon, was a half hour in decent traffic conditions. She checked her watch, aware that she was running late. Brandon was busy telling her of his recent adventure with Joe, the blue monkey. But she wasn't listening except to offer the occasional "Wow!" and "Cool!" to keep him satisfied. She was too preoccupied with the anxiety of being late. She glanced at her watch at each red light while drumming nervously against the steering wheel with her thumb. Being late to their first appointment would not make a great first impression. Finally there was a break in traffic and she sped the rest of the way, pulling into her dad's drive just five minutes later than she'd planned.

* * *

"The appointment is at one so I should be back to pick him up by three at the latest." Stef stood on the doorstep. She could see Brandon sitting in the living room, happily distracted by the cartoons he so rarely got to watch at home.

"Whenever you get here is fine. We'll be here." Her father was leaning against the door jam, his arms crossed casually in front of his chest.

"Thanks again, Dad." She said, turning to leave.

"So what's the big deal about this private school anyway?" Why did he have to wait until now when she was already running late to bring this up? Couldn't he have asked about it any other time in the week since she asked him to watch Brandon? Refraining from rolling her eyes, she gathered her already tried patience and turned her attention back to him.

"It's a charter school, Dad. It's a progressive school that emphasizes the arts as strongly as other academics. Plus they believe in a very hands-on learning and teaching style." Her father's blank stare remained unconvinced. "Look, it'll be a good opportunity for Brandon."

"Well, I just don't see what's wrong with a regular public school. You went to public school and you turned out fine." Stef stiffened with discomfort at what felt like criticism and looked down at her watch just to have somewhere else to look.

"Look, Dad, I don't have time to discuss this right now."

"And where is Mike? Is he meeting you there?" Stef sighed deeply, becoming frustrated. She didn't need a reminder of this morning's argument when she'd just started getting over it.

"That I _definitely_ don't have time to discuss." She leaned up and pecked his cheek. "I gotta go. Thanks, Dad." She dashed to the car, almost jogging, before he could bring anything else up. Backing out of the drive way, she didn't exhale until she was around the corner. The rest of the way she was occupied rehearsing. It was a short drive from her dad's and she used the time to go over specifics, trying to ensure she didn't forget anything. She came up with a reasonable excuse for Mike not being there. Getting called into court to testify for a case sounded a lot better than staying home because he was drunk before noon. Pulling into the visitor parking lot, she passed the sign announcing Anchor Beach Community Charter School. She parked the car and checked her watch. Five minutes early. Being not only on time but early took a bit of the edge off. After fluffing her blonde bangs in the review mirror she took one more settling breath and exited the car.

She walked across the parking lot to the building marked "Main Office." Inside she was greeted warmly by a young man wearing thin wire-rimmed glasses sitting behind a small desk. "Welcome to Anchor Beach Charter School. My name is Gabriel. How may I help you?" His buck teeth showed when he smiled.

"Hi, I'm Stef Foster. I have an appointment at one for a walk-through."

"Oh yes. We're expecting you. Unfortunately, the vice principal has been detained in an emergency meeting this morning so our assistant vice principal will be showing you around. I'll let her know you're here."

"Thank you." Stef took a small step back as Gabriel picked up the phone to make the call. Her nerves were still a little jumpy and it took a lot of effort to keep from bouncing nervously on her toes. To distract herself she focused her attention on the drawings and announcements posted on the walls. There was a bulletin board with "Student of the Week" in bright yellow letters over the photo of a gawky girl who Stef guessed was about ten. She imagined Brandon's face on this board, wondering what he would have done to earn such an achievement.

"Mrs. Foster?" The voice caught her off guard.

"Uh, what?" She snapped back to the present. "Sorry. Yes?" Her cheeks grew warm, a bit embarrassed being caught daydreaming.

"Ms. Adams is just getting out of a meeting. It'll be a few minutes. You're welcome to wait here or outside if you'd like." He motioned to the chairs by the door.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll wait outside. I could use a little air."

"Not a problem. I'll send her out as soon as she's finished." He smiled, flashing his big front teeth again.

"Great. Thanks." Stef turned and left. Her face was warm, her nerves getting out of control again. She felt silly being so nervous. What was she nervous about? Shouldn't they be the ones worried about making a good impression, trying to convince her that her son needed to go here? Just outside the office building she found a bench and sat down. The campus was lovely. Behind her the sounds of merriment, laughter and chatter, came from children playing on a well-kept playground. The buildings all seemed to flow; seamlessly blending inside and outside. There were trees and flowers all around. It was so clean and well maintained. She laughed quietly to herself as she wondered how much of the yearly tuition went to landscaping.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Stef startled at the sudden appearance of someone beside her. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard her walk up. "Hi. I'm Lena Adams, the assistant vice principal."

Stef quickly tried to collect herself. Standing to shake the woman's hand she said, "Hi, I'm Stef Foster." The dark skin of the woman in front of her was shining in the afternoon sun. Her smile was warm and inviting. Stef's mind was blank and she struggled to think through her nerves. Why was she _still_ so nervous? Her stomach fluttered anxiously and she stood there fighting to put a coherent thought together. Staring into the dark brown eyes of the woman across from her, she forced her foggy brain to work, finally becoming aware that she'd been shaking her hand too long. She loosened her grasp and let her arm fall to her side. The tangible silence between them was finally broken by Ms. Adams.

"So… you're son…"

"Uh, Brandon… is," Stef sputtered, "Brandon… right." She laughed sheepishly at herself.

"He will be starting kindergarten this fall?"

"Yes. He's five." She felt like her brain and her mouth had disconnected from each other. Her mind was dull and her tongue fought against her for every word.

"Great. Well, I would be glad to give you a tour, tell you about our school." Stef felt conspicuous under Ms. Adams' gaze. She looked directly at her without ever breaking eye contact and Stef couldn't figure out why it made her so uncomfortable. "Are we waiting for your husband to join?"

Stef looked away to cover herself while she tried to remember the lie she'd come up with. "Uh no. He's… not." Dammit what was she going to say? Her mind was completely blank again. "He uh," her pulse quickened as she pressured herself to come up with any excuse but there was nothing. Giving up she simply said, "He couldn't make it." She laughed again, embarrassed at her lack of composure and at the truth behind her being here alone. She wished Mike was with her. She knew she'd feel more secure if she didn't feel like she was hiding this shameful secret about their lives. But Ms. Adams laughed with her and though Stef was sure she could tell how nervous she was, she also felt a bit of relief. Even if it was strictly professionalism, the other woman showed no sign that she thought it suspicious that Stef was here without her husband.

"Okay. Well, um." Ms. Adams paused. Did she seem nervous, too? Stef wondered if maybe she didn't do walk-throughs very often. "Follow me," she finally said.

"Okay." Stef tugged on the bottom of her shirt before turning to follow her tour guide. Ms. Adams led them along a path that circled around the grassy area at the front of the campus.

"This is the grove. It is mostly used for recreation but is occasionally utilized for outdoor classes. It's the only outdoor common area used by the grade school as well as the middle and high schools. Its position right in front of the offices allows it to be closely monitored and grade school children are to always be accompanied by an adult when in this area. It's very important that all of the children feel they are safe at all times to promote the most learning-friendly, distraction-free environment possible." As they made their way toward the buildings behind the grove Stef thought she was beginning to feel better. Though still a little disoriented and finding it difficult to focus, walking around and having things to look at was helping to settle her nerves. Ms. Adams continued as they walked by a long building with a high arched roof.

"Here is one of the few buildings used by students of all grades. It is the music and theater hall. There is an auditorium where school plays are performed as well as fully equipped music rooms and practice rooms. We provide music and theater classes, small and large ensembles, as well as lessons taught by local professional musicians. Has your son shown any interest in music?" Ms. Adams had stopped in front of the building and was looking expectantly at Stef.

"What?" Stef chuckled, once again embarrassed by her inability to pay attention.

"Brandon. Does he like music?" She repeated patiently and smiled.

"Oh right. Yes, actually. He has one of those miniature keyboards. You know the ones you can change the type of sound it makes?" Ms. Adams nodded. "Well, he loves it," Stef felt a smile work its way onto her face. Talking about Brandon was easy. For the first time all day she began to feel calm.

"Actually, the first night he had it he took it to bed with him. He wouldn't put it down and eventually fell asleep with it tucked under the blanket!" She chortled as she told the story.

"Aw. That's sweet. I'm sure it was precious to see," Ms. Adams said. She spoke so genuinely even though Stef was sure she'd heard a million stories like it.

"It was. I actually took a picture. How could I resist? He was so cute snuggled up with his little keyboard."

"It must be one of his favorite toys." She was still looking at Stef as intently as she had been back by the bench.

"Second only to Joe." Stef rolled her eyes at the thought of the filthy toy.

"Let me guess. A teddy bear?" Her eyebrows rose knowingly.

"Close. He's a monkey." Ms. Adams nodded in understanding before Stef added matter-of-factly, "And so is Joe."

Cocking her head in confusion Ms. Adams said, "I'm sorry?"

"Sorry." Stef waved her hand as if trying to swat the remark away. "That was funnier in my head." She shrugged, "Most of my jokes are, actually." When she laughed the other woman joined her. In fact, it seemed to Stef that she laughed a little too hard but she assumed she was just being polite.

"Well," Ms. Adams said, having collected herself, "I'm looking forward to meeting them both. Shall we continue?" Stef was constantly aware of her unbroken gaze, though she was growing more used to it. She was very attentive, this Ms. Adams.

"Absolutely," Stef said, smiling. At this point she was feeling much more relaxed. They continued their tour through the grade school building and back to the science building. Resuming her informational commentary, Ms. Adams described the school and its policies in detail; often using buzz words like, "community teaching" and "exploratory learning." Occasionally she asked Stef a question but mostly Stef listened and tried to retain as much as possible. They ran into a few teachers and Stef was introduced to each of them, including the principal. Everyone was exceptionally welcoming and Stef was feeling very positive by the time they made it back to the main office. They stood by the entrance while they wrapped up their meeting.

"Alright. Well. Do you have any questions I can answer for you?" Stef almost didn't notice the constant eye contact anymore. Almost.

"No, I don't think so. I'm pretty much set with these." She waved the brightly colored pamphlets she'd been given when they had returned to the office. Ms. Adams smiled brightly.

"Alright then. Thank you for coming. I'll see you next Monday with your husband and Brandon."

"Great." Stef stretched out her hand, "It was very nice to meet you, Ms. Adams." As they shook hands she was careful, as she always was with other women, to grasp gently.

"Oh. Please, call me Lena," she insisted, smiling.

Grinning back Stef said, "Only if you call me Stef."

"Okay. Thank you again, Stef." She lingered on the name.

"No, thank _you_. We'll see you Monday, Lena." She finally broke their handshake and turned to walk out the door, aware that this time she had not been the one who'd held on too long.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Mike." Stef held the front door open for her husband. "Come in," she said, inviting him in with a sweep of her arm.

"Thanks." He stepped through the doorway, looking around. "Where's my big man?" He called into the house. Instantly the sound of heavy footfalls filled the house as Brandon bolted down the hallway toward them. "Brando! There you are!" When he reached them Mike lifted their son effortlessly, giving him a kiss, and held him tight in a bear hug.

"Hi, Daddy!" Brandon beamed. He was always so happy to see Mike. Stef smiled watching the pair together.

"Did you have fun at Grandpa Frank's yesterday?" Brandon sat supported by Mike's arms so they were face-to-face.

"Uh huh. Grampa let me watch Blue's Clues and Scooby Doo."

"Whoa! Two cartoons in one day? Better not tell Mommy!" Mike winked at Stef, smiling cheekily.

"But Daddy she's right there!" He pointed toward her, giggling.

"Oh no. I blew it. Sorry, kid." Cupping Brandon's ear in his hand, he spoke in a loud whisper, keeping eye contact with Stef as he spoke, "Don't worry. I'll let you watch all the cartoons you want." Mike set Brandon back on the floor and winked at him, causing more giggles. "Ready to go?"

"Actually, Mike. Would you mind staying for a minute? I'd like to talk to you about yesterday."

Mike shifted uncomfortably. "Listen, Stef. I'm sorry about that. I just… I had a rough night. I don't want to argue." He shoved his hands in his pockets, looking down at the floor.

"Actually, I meant about the school." Stef chuckled, also uncomfortable. "I thought it might be a good idea to discuss some of what I found out yesterday before we meet with them again on Monday."

"Oh. Yeah, sure." Mike exhaled loudly and the tension in his shoulders relaxed. "Brando, why don't you go play in the living room for a little bit."

"But Daddy I wanna go!" Brandon complained.

"We will. Mommy and I are just going to talk for a few minutes. Then we'll go and get a Happy Meal for lunch." Brandon's face lit up at the promise of fast food. Stef rolled her eyes.

"Really, Mike? Can't you cook for him once in a while?" She watched Brandon take off toward the living room and began walking in the same direction, Mike right behind her.

"Stef, do you really want me to take that risk with our son's life?"

"Ha! You make a valid point." Reaching the kitchen, Stef went to the cabinet and pulled out two mugs. "Coffee?" she asked, raising one mug in his direction. He nodded and she poured them both a cup. "I don't know why you never let me teach you to cook. Not even the basics." After pouring cream into her coffee, watching it swirl into a light brown, she set Mike's cup down on the table and sat in the chair across from him.

"Why when I always had you to cook for me?"

Looking down into her coffee, Stef cleared her throat. "How's that working for you now?" She took a long drink to hide her annoyance.

"Not that great. Of course I never expected to be living alone again." His tone was sarcastically pleasant.

Stef sighed and set her mug on the table, harder than she intended. "Can we just talk about the school? This isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Fine." He glared over the edge of his coffee cup.

"Okay." Stef took another swig of coffee, thinking; her mind suddenly blank. Mike stared at her, raising his eyebrows impatiently when she remained silent. Feeling pressure to come up with something made it even harder to do so. She took another drink to stall and finally said the only thing she could remember about the school, "The landscaping was really nice."

"That's it? The landscaping?" Mike laughed in disbelief. "It had better be if we're going to be paying for it."

Stef struggled to remember more. "I… I met the principal. Something Sanchez. She was nice. Everyone I met was nice, actually."

"Okay," Mike said. He looked expectantly at her. "That's good. Anything else?"

"I'm sorry. I was just… I was nervous being there alone. I'm trying to remember." Suddenly she got up and walked across the kitchen. Opening the junk drawer, she pulled out the pamphlets from the school, silently thanking herself for not throwing out what she'd thought had been unnecessary clutter to add to her house. She took the pamphlets over to the table, tossed them in front of Mike, and sat back down.

"These have a lot of information." She picked one up and stared at it, trying to jog her memory. But the problem was not that she couldn't remember anything. It was that when she thought about yesterday the only thing that came to mind was Lena. No matter how hard she tried, when she tried to remember specifics the only picture that came to mind was Lena's loosely curled hair falling down her back and the way it bounced slightly when she walked. She remembered how envious she'd been when the woman's slender frame moved with a gracefulness Stef had never possessed. She had been so light on her feet, practically gliding despite the heavy beige wedges she'd been wearing. If Stef had been wearing those she would have been clunking around like she was dragging cement blocks on her feet. But Lena's movements had been effortless. Stef could remember what she was wearing, the way her eyebrows raised when she was listening to Stef talk, the sound of her laugh. Down to the smallest details of her lean, muscular arms and long thin fingers that moved gracefully when she was explaining something. But to save her life she couldn't remember the school.

She felt so flustered as she stared blankly at the pamphlet in her hand. Shame crawled through her like a bug scratching a path through dirt. Unsure of the source, it made her uneasy and she shifted in her seat, unable to even make herself look at Mike as he rifled through the papers. He picked up the green one and Stef saw that it was about the science program. Finally, pushing her mind through the fog of confusion, she actually read the pamphlet in her hands and recognized the building pictured on the front.

"Oh!" She shook her head as if coming out of a trance. "They have a very extensive music program." She flipped open the paper and laid it out in front of Mike. "They have lots of classes and lessons. I thought maybe we could get B into piano lessons." Relief spread through her as other details started filtering in to her memory.

"I was thinking maybe we should get him started in baseball. It's better to start young if you want to be a top player by high school." Mike shuffled the brochures and pulled one out with a bunch of sports equipment on the front. He smiled, staring through the paper, not reading it. "Maybe he'll wind up a pitcher like his old man."

Stef shrugged. "There's no reason he can't do both."

"Yeah, I guess. He does like that damn keyboard." The two laughed, understanding in each other's frustration with the noise it brought into their lives.

"Sometimes I take the batteries out and tell him they died and we don't have anymore," Stef admitted, leaning forward and lowering her voice.

"You, too?" Boisterous laughter filled the small kitchen. "You know, I actually had to move where I keep them because whenever I'd tell him they were dead, he'd just go find more!" Mike shook his head, smiling. "He's going to be a handful when he's older."

"God, I'm afraid you're right." Stef smiled woefully into her coffee, clutching it in both hands. "Listen, Mike. Why don't you just take these with you and look them over. Obviously they can tell you more than I can." She drank from her mug, hoping he didn't notice the red burning in her cheeks.

"I think you might be right, Stef." Mike gathered the brochures, arranging them into a haphazard pile. He downed the last of his coffee in a single swallow and set the empty mug on the table before standing with the papers in his hand. "So you were really that nervous without me, huh?" He flashed a satisfied smile at her. "See? You still need me." He was obviously pleased with himself, winking at her teasingly. But Stef refused to be baited. Ignoring his comment, she stood and said, "Isn't it time for you to fill our child with cheap substitutes for food and kill his brain with television?"

"You bet. Why do you think he likes me more?"

Stef burst into sarcastic laughter. "Okay, Mike. Whatever you say." She shook her head slightly and walked into the living room. Their son was sitting on the floor, hitting the keys of his keyboard, though it made no sound.

"Hey, B! It's time to go with Daddy. Come give me a hug." Stef knelt to hug Brandon tight. She gave him a kiss and then dusted more all over his face, making him giggle. "Oh, B! I almost forgot!" Stef spoke with exaggerated enthusiasm. "I have new batteries for your keyboard! That way it'll work _all_ weekend." Brandon squealed in excitement. Stef threw a mischievous smile at Mike as she walked by him back into the kitchen. Shamelessly enjoying her husband's visible annoyance, she retrieved the batteries from their home high in the cabinet over the stove. Brandon held out his hands, practically dancing when she returned but before Stef could give him the batteries, Mike stepped between them. He grabbed them out of Stef's hand and shoved them in his pocket. With Brandon behind him, he stood just inches from Stef, glaring at her. She was sure, if looks could kill, she'd be fatally wounded. She held his deadly gaze, an innocent smile on her face, and called over his shoulder, "Your dad is really looking forward to a concert tonight, B." Contained laughter rumbled from her belly. Mike pursed his lips, aware he'd been one-upped this time.

"We'll put these in after dinner, buddy." He peeled his eyes away from Stef's smug face to turn to their son.

"Aaaaw," Brandon whined.

"No pouting or we'll leave the batteries _and_ the keyboard here."

Brandon huffed a sigh of frustration. "Okaaay," he unwillingly conceded. "Then let's go. I wanna play!" He pulled on Mike's arm with both of his, trying to move him toward the door. Mike laughed, flexing his arm and lifting the boy to dangle from his forearm. Brandon shrieked in delight. "C'moooon, Daddy!" Legs kicking in the air, his laughter filled the room.

"Alright, buddy," Mike said as he lowered him back onto his feet. Brandon sprinted to the door, leaving his parents alone in the hallway outside the living room. Stef shifted on her feet, her arms crossed in front of her chest. They'd been separated for nearly three months yet goodbyes were still always uncomfortable. Every normal gesture felt too familiar or too casual and when Brandon wasn't there to act as a buffer they both tended to stand awkwardly until someone finally made the first move. Today it was Mike. He kissed her cheek and said, "Goodbye, Stef. Sorry about yesterday."

Stef waved it away. "Let's both let it go. See you Monday. You'll just bring Brandon with you?"

"Oh, right. Yeah, we'll meet you at the school." They made their way down the hall to the front door. "Two o'clock, right?"

"Right." Mike stood with his hand on the doorknob. Brandon was beside him with his back pack on and Joe the monkey hanging from his left hand. "C'mere, little man." Stef reached her hand out and wrapped her arms around him when he reached her. His arms circled her neck, Joe hitting her in the side of the head, making her laugh. "Oh, B! I love you, sweetie. You be a good boy, okay?" She planted a noisy kiss on his forehead. Brandon wiped at the wet spot left behind.

"Bye, Mommy."

"Bye, honey. I love you." Mike opened the front door.

"Love you, too." Brandon took Mike's hand and Mike lifted his other hand in a final goodbye as their son led him outside. Stef watched Mike get Brandon into the car. He was teasing the little boy about something she couldn't hear. But she could see Brandon laughing and she smiled at the two of them. No matter what was going on between her and Mike she was grateful that Brandon had a dad who loved him so much. They pulled out of the driveway and she waved until they were out of sight. Finally she closed the door and walked back to the kitchen, already too aware of the deafening quiet filling the house.

* * *

On Monday morning Stef woke early. The late spring sun was just barely up when she found herself lying in bed, willing herself back to sleep. Between work and her son's tendency to rise with the sun, it was rare that she had an opportunity to sleep in. So she wasn't exactly surprised but very disappointed that on this rare occasion when she had neither obligation she was wide awake. It was pretty much par for the course. Cursing the cheerfully singing birds outside her window, she pulled herself out of bed and walked to the kitchen in her pajamas.

The kitchen was spotless. With just herself to feed, doing the dishes took no time at all and Brandon wasn't there all weekend to put sticky handprints on all the surfaces. On the weekends she usually used her evenings after work to clean, anyway. It kept her from feeling lonely in the stifling calm of a child-free house.

She put on a pot of coffee, adding an extra scoop of the bitter grounds. She had a feeling she was going to need the extra boost to get through the day. As the coffee pot sputtered to life, deep black liquid streaming to the bottom, Stef wandered out barefoot to retrieve the paper from the driveway. A few minutes later, with a full mug of coffee, she sat on the back porch. Her feet were propped on the green cushion of the metal chair across from her and the newspaper was folded into fourths in her left hand.

Though she continued to hold it up, Stef hadn't read a word of the front page. Instead she was deep in thought. The silence of the empty house had finally filtered through a crack in her usually sturdy armor and she wondered just how she'd gotten to this point in her life. She and Mike were at some kind of stalemate. She refused to let him move back in until he got his drinking under control and he refused to admit he even had a problem. She had her job and Brandon and that was it. Her only friends were from work but none of them felt comfortable "taking sides" as they put it, since Mike worked at the station with her. Since the separation she'd lost touch with the other moms from the park. It seemed they were a bit reluctant to associate with a possible future divorcee as if an unhappy marriage was contagious. Not that Stef had ever cared much for those women. They had always come across so empty headed and snobby. But at this point she was so starved for adult interaction that she'd almost be willing to take snobby and dull over silence and talking to herself. She could only laugh at her own jokes for so long before it started to feel pathetic.

Finally realizing she was not going to ever read the paper, she set it on the glass patio table beside her. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes and sipped her coffee. In an attempt to clear her mind of the loneliness draping itself across her shoulders, she listened to the chirping of the birds, enjoying the fragrance on the breeze of the earth waking back up after winter. Slowly her mood lightened in the solace and Stef found herself thinking of the day ahead. She couldn't wait to see Brandon. Just thinking about him made her smile. The weekends were always so long without him. When the sun grew warm, the early morning clouds having burned off, Stef pushed herself up, took her empty mug and newspaper to the kitchen and began getting ready for the day.

* * *

Her toe tapped impatiently against the cement as she sat on the same bench outside the office building that she had when she was here for her last meeting. It gave her a perfect view of the parking lot as she waited. She wanted to see her son. The mid-afternoon sun was bright, making the well-groomed campus even more inviting. Bright yellow daffodils and tulips in a rainbow of colors dotted the areas beneath the trees in the grove. Even for California, it was unusually warm and she gladly soaked in the sun as she waited. The school sat on the coast line and she listened to the waves crash in the distance while she waited. Finally she spotted them emerge from between two cars. She zeroed in on Brandon whose hand was clasped firmly in his father's while they crossed the parking lot. When they reached the sidewalk Mike let go and Brandon ran toward her, his little feet slapping loudly against the cement. She squatted down, catching him as he barreled into her, and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hi, baby!" Closing her eyes, a smile beaming on her face, she felt joy spread over her. "I missed you so much." She gave him a kiss.

"Lookit!" Brandon held up a small, yellow figurine that resembled a mouse.

"Whoa! Is that Pikachu?"

"Yeah! He's from my Happy Meal! He's _so cool_!" He started playing with it, making whooshing sounds as he waved it around in the air.

"He is very cool, sweetheart. Did you have fun at Daddy's?" Stef held her hand against her son's back while he leaned against her shoulder.

"Uh huh." He was distracted, still flying the toy around. "I watched Blue's Clues and we played legos."

"Wow! What did you build?"

"A spaceship." He was now bouncing the toy up Stef's arm like it was climbing a steep mountain. As she watched her son's face, which was completely engrossed in his current game of pretend, Mike's feet entered her line of sight. "Hey, Mike," she said, squinting up at him. She ruffled Brandon's hair before standing back up.

"Hey." Mike stood casually with his hands in his pockets. His eyes were shaded by silver-rimmed aviators. He'd been wearing aviators since they'd met as rookies years ago and she found the stereotype as obnoxious now as she had then.

"I assume based on our son's continuing survival that you did not cook for him," Stef teased.

"Actually, I did. I made spaghetti last night."

"Wow. I'm very impressed. B, did you like Daddy's spaghetti?" The boy nodded his head, busy making sound effects.

"See, he even liked it! You really should cook for him more. And yourself, too. All that fast food is starting to show." Laughing, she patted his solid stomach playfully.

"You're just jealous that I don't have to worry about what I eat and I'm still in just as good a shape as you."

"Wow." Stef rolled her eyes, chuckling. "We'll see about that in ten years." She turned her attention back to Brandon. "Hey, B. Remember how I told you that you're going to get to talk with someone who will ask you some questions and then you'll play some games?" He nodded his head. "That's what we're here for today. And Daddy and I are going to have a meeting." Brandon looked up at her, his head tilted to one side.

"What's a meeting?"

"That's where grownups come together to talk about something important. Today we're going to talk about school."

"Oh." He shrugged.

"Come on, sweets." Stef took his hand and the three of them walked into the office building.

"Hello! Nice to see you again." Ms. Adams was waiting for them when they arrived.

"We're not late, are we?" Stef worried while she shook her hand.

"Oh, no! Not at all. I just- I was just expecting you." She laughed a little nervously. "You must be Mr. Foster."

"Mike," he said, shaking her outstretched hand.

"Lena Adams, Assistant Vice Principal. Nice to meet you."

"This is our son, Brandon," Stef said. Brandon stood in front of her and she rested her hands on his shoulders. Lena squatted down so that she was eye-level with him. "Hi, Brandon." She held her hand out to him. "I'm Ms. Adams." Brandon looked at his feet and turned into Stef's legs. She rubbed his back gently.

"It's okay, B. Shake her hand. Remember how Grandpa taught you to shake on it?" He just whimpered and hid his face entirely.

"He's shy with new people sometimes," Mike said apologetically. "You can shake her hand like a big boy, can't you, Buddy?" Brandon just grunted his refusal.

"That's alright." Lena put her hand down. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Brandon." He peered at her from one eye. Lena smiled at the small progress. "It's nice to meet you." She stood back up. Stef ran her hand through Brandon's hair as he loosened his grip on her leg. "If you'll follow me we'll go meet Mrs. Peters and get Brandon settled in for his evaluation." They walked down a short hallway to the left of the reception desk. Lena knocked on the doorjamb of an open office. "Hello, Anita. I have Brandon Foster here for his kindergarten evaluation." She ushered the family into the office. "This is Mike and Stef Foster with their son Brandon." Mrs. Peters walked around her desk to greet them. She was a plump woman with kind eyes. She smiled at them while shaking their hands.

"I'm Anita Peters. I'm the head guidance counselor at Anchor Beach. It's very nice to meet you."

"Hello." Mike shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you," Stef said. The woman's silvery-white hair was a stark contrast against her smooth dark skin. It, along with her floral-print dress and orthopedic shoes, was the only give away to her age. Just looking at her face, Stef would have assumed she wasn't even forty. But as she spoke to Brandon she came across as a loving grandmother.

"Hi, honey. You're a little shy, aren't you?" She asked when Brandon latched back on to Stef's leg. "Aw well, that's alright. Meeting people can be scary. But I promise I'm very nice if you give me a chance. Would you like to play with a toy?" She motioned around the room and Stef realized it was brimming with toys and games. The selection was impressive, rivaling that of a toy store. Brandon seemed less impressed. He shook his head and held up his own toy. "Oh, I see you brought your own. What's his name again? Pokachu?" Brandon giggled.

"No, Pikachu!"

"Oh, right! How silly of me." Stef felt Brandon's hold on her leg loosen a bit. "Well, why don't you bring _Pik_achu," Mrs. Peters emphasized the correct pronunciation, "over here and sit in this big boy chair next to your mom and dad." She directed them to the chairs in front of her desk and walked around it to sit opposite them. Stef noticed she walked with a slight limp on her right side and wondered briefly on the cause. To her surprise, Lena took a seat beside Mrs. Peters. For some reason she had been expecting her to leave them here.

"Mr. and Mrs. Foster, I want to make sure you're comfortable with our evaluation process before we get started. I'm assuming Ms. Adams explained the basics to you on your walk through?"

"Actually, Mike was unable to be there but I did speak about it to Stef," Lena explained.

"I see. In that case, this is how it works. Brandon and I will go through a series of questions to help me get an idea of where his basic knowledge and cognitive skills are at this point. We'll then play some games to indicate things like comprehension, motor skills, and academic strengths and weaknesses. This is all just to tell us where he falls and how to best cater to his academic needs." Mrs. Peters spoke very warmly but with the clean precision of a professional. "In order to get the most accurate results I'll need to evaluate Brandon individually."

"You will be in my office filling out some admission paperwork. You'll have the opportunity to ask any questions or bring up any concerns," Lena interjected.

"Do you have any questions about the evaluation process?" Mrs. Peters asked.

"How long does it take?" Mike asked.

"Usually about 20 to 30 minutes."

"Is it really necessary for Brandon to be by himself?" Stef asked, concerned.

"It is. It is the best way to keep the results completely accurate. Often times parents try to tell their children what they think are the correct answers or lead them in certain directions. But we're not looking for right answers. We are looking to understand what a child needs support in, where they excel, and begin to understand their learning and thought processes. There is no pass or fail. Simply a conclusion. So it's best if parents aren't present. However, if you're not comfortable leaving him alone you are welcome to sit outside the door. It will be open the entire time," she assured them.

"I'm more concerned about his comfort level. As you've already seen, he's nervous around strangers." Stef turned to Brandon. "Sweetie, remember when I told you that you were going to answer some questions and play some games?" Brandon nodded his head, his blue eyes shining up at her. "Well, you're going to be with Mrs. Peters. She's going to be the one asking you the questions. Daddy and I have to leave the room. Do you want us to sit outside the door?" She rubbed Brandon's arm reassuringly but he just shrugged. "Will you be okay if we go down the hall and talk with Ms. Adams?" Brandon nodded his head and Stef smiled with pride. "You're so brave."

"Are you gonna do a meeting?" He asked. The other women chuckled quietly.

"That's right, buddy," Mike said. "We'll be right down the hall. If you need us you can come get us any time. Okay?"

"Okay." Brandon turned his toy over in his hands absent-mindedly.

"Well, I think we can get started unless you have any more questions," Mrs. Peters said as she stood. Stef looked to Mike who shook his head. They all stood and Lena led Mike and Stef out of the room after Stef assured Brandon they'd be back soon.

Lena's office was just two doors down. It was an average sized room with a large but plain wood desk in the center. Filing cabinets lined the wall behind the desk, bookshelves were along the left wall. Three degrees were framed on the wall above the filing cabinets as well a large photo of the Eiffel Tower at sunset. Only a desk calendar and a large computer monitor sat on top of the desk. Mike and Stef took two of the chairs in front of it.

"So, how are you feeling about everything?" Lena asked, sitting opposite them.

"So far, so good." Stef looked at Mike to confirm he felt the same. "I'm surprised Brandon warmed up to Mrs. Peters so quickly."

"She has that effect on children. She's easy to trust."

"Well, that and the Toys 'R' Us store she has in her office. We'll be lucky if he ever wants to come home."

"That certainly helps." Lena smiled. She leaned forward and folded her hands on top of the desk. "Before we move on to paperwork, do you have any questions for me?"

Mike cleared his throat. "Does this evaluation decide whether or not Brandon gets in?"

"Well, not exactly. The admittance process for kindergarteners is more of a technicality. It is more to make sure the child and family will fit into the school community. Your paperwork goes to the Parent Board for review. Once a child is admitted, as long as he is performing at grade level he'll remain enrolled. Then at the end of fifth grade all the students take a proficiency exam. If they achieve a 65% or higher they will be admitted to the middle school. The same goes for high school." Stef got the distinct feeling that although Lena was looking at Mike, she was speaking to her. It made her anxious.

"And what if he doesn't pass?" Stef asked. Lena's complete attention was now on her as she shifted her gaze away from Mike. "They are given the opportunity to retake the exam once during the summer. After that, if they still don't pass, they'll be dropped from the roster."

"So how long until we know if he's in?" Mike asked.

"Within two weeks," Lena answered, still looking at Stef. Stef nodded, returning her gaze. Her stomach fluttered when she looked into the woman's brown eyes and she looked down into her lap, confused. "Do you have any more questions or should we move on to the paperwork?"

"We're good!" Stef said enthusiastically. Mike glanced at her sideways but she ignored him. Lena pulled a thin white packet of paper from a desk drawer. She set it in front of them.

"I just need you to fill these out. There's a general information sheet, a medical emergency form, a parental involvement agreement, and an extra-curricular form." She flipped to each page as she listed them.

The scratching of Stef's pen filled the room as they all sat in silence while she filled out each form. She could feel Lena watching her. She found it difficult to concentrate and kept glancing up at her. Every time, the other woman's eyes darted away.

Reaching the final form she turned to her husband. "Mike, did we decide that we want to put B down for piano lessons and baseball?"

"Yeah." He leaned over her shoulder to read. "It's a hundred dollars a semester for piano lessons?" He sounded surprised. "And _fifty_ for baseball? He's in kindergarten, not the major leagues." Agitation coated his words.

"It's fine, Mike."

"No, it's ridiculous. I thought they'd be included." His voice grew louder, suddenly angry. He grabbed the packet of papers out of her hands, furiously flipping through them.

"You didn't really think they'd be free, did you?"

He slammed the papers down on to the desk, fuming. "Wait, so not only do we have to pay tuition but we have to pay extra if we want our kid in any other activities through the school? That's bull." Stef stiffened at the hostility coming from her husband.

"I'm sure that's not out of the ordinary," Stef said, trying to defuse the time bomb sitting beside her.

"You're right. It's not," Lena calmly interjected. "Just as any other public school, extracurriculars come with program fees so all sports teams as well as any private lessons do require some monetary investments from participating families. You said you're interested in music lessons for Brandon. One of the benefits of paying for lessons through the school is that the fees for the teachers are lower than they would be if you sought lessons from them outside of the school." Mike tried to interrupt but Lena continued to speak over him. "We have these arrangements with all of the private instructors in an effort to make music lessons accessible to any students who wish to pursue them." Lena remained unfazed by the tension Stef could feel exuding from Mike. Her professionalism never wavered, her smile shining brightly.

"It's still extra," Mike said argumentatively. "I thought one of the draws of this place was that it had so much more to offer. With tuition and extra fees we might as well just sign our paychecks over." He was becoming aggressive in his anger. His arms were waving in the air; he sat forward on the edge of his chair. His face was reddening. Stef could feel herself growing more anxious. She had no idea how to calm him down when he got like this. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap and she could feel the tension in her jaw as she clenched it in frustration.

"We'll be fine, Mike." She looked apologetically at the assistant vice principal, sure they were blowing this opportunity. The other woman remained calm and collected, looking sympathetically back at Stef.

"We don't charge tuition, actually," Lena said patiently, directing her attention back to Mike. Stef noticed that the woman seemed to be sitting up even straighter than she already had been. She suddenly had an air about her that was… what? Defensive? Not quite. Haughty almost. _Regal_? Yes. She suddenly looked regal, with her eyebrow cocked just a little and her smile morphed to that of contempt rather than the warmth it had been all morning. If Stef hadn't been so upset she would have laughed. If only she were able to deal with Mike's temper with such diplomacy. "We are a charter school but we are still a _public_ school. We do have some yearly fees that go to support the children's education but they are minimal in comparison to those of a private school. We do have some assistance programs, should you be interested."

"_Fees_? That's a nice way to sugar coat it. You can call it whatever you want." Mikes words dripped with condescension. "Tuition or fees. Hell you can call it a donation. Whatever you call it, it's still money coming out of my pocket. We're both on government salaries. We're not exactly making six figures. I think we're better off putting him in public school than dealing with this hippy-liberal crap."

"Mike. Stop. You're being rude." Stef spoke shortly through clenched teeth. She couldn't believe this was happening. Her stomach turned with a mixture of shame and disgust.

"Don't tell me what the fuck to do, Stef. I'm tired of always being the bad guy just because I don't agree with you." He stood up suddenly, spitting with anger. "You know what? Do whatever you want Stef. Obviously it doesn't matter what I think so I'm just going to go."

"Mike, wait," Stef called to his back as he stormed out of the office. Stunned, she turned back to Lena. "I'm so- I'm sorry. He's not… I…" Her words came out as jumbled as her thoughts were. She looked down at her hands, still clasped in her lap, knuckles white, and felt the first tear roll down her cheek. The tears were sudden and strong and as hard as she fought it, she couldn't stop them. They fell, one after another, onto her hands as she tried to swallow the sobs of humiliation that were filling her ribcage. There was movement in the room and she heard the office door click shut but didn't look up until she saw through blurry eyes a box of tissue set on the desk in front of her. She took one to dry her cheeks. Dabbing at her eyes, seeing black mascara smeared across the white square she thought that was just one more thing to be embarrassed about. She wiped her nose and furiously tried to blink back the streaming tears. The sensation of a warm hand on her shoulder startled her and she turned to see Lena sitting in Mike's chair. She wiped at her cheeks again. "I'm sorry…" She hiccupped, her breath dragging in jaggedly as she continued to fight against the sobbing. Lena tilted her head to the side, looking at Stef with concern.

"It's okay. He's not the first angry parent I've dealt with. He wasn't even the worst." She smiled sympathetically at her and Stef laughed despite herself. Lena's hand squeezed her shoulder gently and Stef found it deeply comforting. "Are you okay? Would you like to talk about it?" Stef looked back down at her lap. She didn't want the school to know about her separation. She didn't want this kind woman to know the humiliation she felt about her husband's drinking. She wanted to hide it all away behind an outer shell of a happy family and white picket fence. And yet she found herself desperately needing to talk about it. This was a breaking point, she realized, and this burden had finally become too heavy to bear on her own. She swallowed the saliva that had pooled in her mouth beneath her tongue. Deciding what to do, she sat in silence, aware of a clock ticking somewhere in the room. Aware of the presence of the woman beside her and aware of the comforting pressure of her hand on her shoulder. Finally she sucked a ragged breath into her lungs before she spoke.

"We're separated. We have been for a few months and I have no idea what's going to happen. He drinks a lot. Too much. I think… I think he's a- an alcoholic." She sniffed loudly. Relief mixed with mortification at the admittance of such a private matter to a stranger. The reality was one that she hadn't let herself fully admit to until this moment but not having to face it alone made it much easier to do so. Lena's grip tightened on her shoulder again.

"I'm sorry. Is he seeing anyone about it or going to meetings?" Lena spoke with genuine concern.

"No. He doesn't even think he has a problem." Stef laughed in frustration. "Brandon spends the weekends with him at his apartment and I get so worried that he's going to drink and drive with him in the car or something. It's this constant worry and it feels like there's nothing I can do about it. I don't want to take that time away from Brandon. I already feel guilty about him having to split his time between us. Mike is such a good dad and as far as I know he's never done anything stupid. But I can't stop worrying that it'll happen the next time. I just don't know what to do anymore. Something has to change." Stef sighed deeply, feeling lighter but achingly sad.

"Have you told him that you worry about this so much?" Stef looked up at Lena, doubtful. She was very kind and trying so hard to help. She smiled in gratitude though she felt defeated.

"Any time I bring up his drinking he just gets defensive and angry. And you've seen the result of that." Stef shrugged. Lena gave her shoulder another little squeeze before standing and moving to a filing cabinet behind her desk.

"You know, I've got something that might help you." Stef could see her thumbing through files. Finding the one she wanted, Lena pulled it from the drawer and sat down at her desk, setting the file down open in front of her. She pulled a paper from the contents of the file and handed it to Stef. It was a pamphlet. Stef smiled to herself, thinking about how many of these would fill her house if Brandon ended up going to school here. "This is for an out-patient treatment center in town. It involves therapy and family counseling. Maybe he'd be willing to give something like that a shot. There is no cost for the addiction program."

Stef had no hope that Mike would be willing to participate in this. But the gesture was thoughtful and she was sincerely touched by it. "Thank you. I really appreciate this. And you listening to me and dealing with my 'ugly cry.' I'll try to make it a little daintier for you next time, but I can't promise anything. Being ladylike was never a particular strength of mine." The two women chuckled.

"It's not a problem. I hope you can work things out. You deserve to be happy." When she looked at her with such tenderness it made Stef's cheeks grow warm. Stef broke eye contact with her and looked down to the tissue that was now balled up in her hand.

"I should clean my face up before Brandon is done. Is there a bathroom nearby?" Wiping at her cheeks she was suddenly conscious of the disaster she imagined her makeup to be.

"Yes. The faculty restroom is just across the hall. Here." She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a small square packet, handing it to Stef. It was an individually wrapped makeup remover cloth.

When Stef looked at her confused she just shrugged and said matter-of-factly, "I work with teenage girls. I go through at least a box of those a month."

"Thanks," Stef said, impressed. "I'll be right back." She grabbed her purse and walked across the hallway to the restroom. Locking the door she was grateful it was private. As she looked in the mirror she assessed the damage. It wasn't as bad as she thought it would be. Her eyes were red and puffy but there were just a few light smudges at the corners of her eyes. Using the damp cloth, she wiped away the offending spots then patted a little cold water on her cheeks, hoping to clear away some of the blotchy redness in them. She blew her nose, fluffed her bangs, and returned to the office feeling a little more put together.

"I have something else for you." Lena announced when Stef re-entered the room.

"It's not another pamphlet is it? Because I think I already have a year's supply from you."

Lena giggled girlishly at Stef's teasing. "No. No more pamphlets." She handed Stef a single piece of paper. It was a form. "Before he left your husband said something about you two being government employees?"

"Yes. We're both police officers," Stef said, unsure of where this was going.

"Oh. Well, as government employees you are eligible to have the school fees waived." Lena motioned toward the form. "You just need to fill that out, both of you sign it, and bring it back. It usually takes about a week for the paperwork to go through once a child has been admitted. It won't eliminate the activity fees but perhaps Mike will be happier if you're not footing all of the costs."

"Wow. Thank you. I'm sure this will help." Stef folded the paper and tucked it into her purse, feeling the tiniest bit hopeful.

"Great." Lena looked at her watch. "Brandon should be about done. I'll walk with you." They exited Lena's office and in the short distance to Mrs. Peters' Stef could hear Brandon talking animatedly. She smiled, amused at his ramblings, hearing him mention Joe. Lena tapped gently on the open door.

"Come in," Mrs. Peters called. Lena stepped aside, allowing Stef in ahead of her.

"How'd it go?" Brandon and Mrs. Peters were sitting on either side of a small table on the far side of the office. A game of Chutes and Ladders was spread between them.

"Very well. You've got a very smart little boy with a big imagination." Mrs. Peters searched behind Stef for a moment. Finally her gaze fell on Stef before shifting to Lena, a question in her eyes. Stef dropped her eyes to the floor for just a moment, shame welling back up again. Determined, she forced her eyes back up. Her mouth was warm and dry.

"I know." She looked to her son and smiled at him. "I'm always so proud of him. Thank you." Mrs. Peters stood up and walked over to the other women.

"You'll receive a copy of the results of the evaluation in the mail and you'll use that to set up an education plan with his teacher once school starts. Do you have any questions, dear?"

Stef shook her head. "No. But thank you for your time." Mrs. Peters' head barely reached Stef's shoulder. Somehow she had seemed taller when they'd first met. Stef looked over the top of her head to Brandon. "Come on, B. It's time to go." She reached her hand out and smoothed it across his head when he reached her. "Say goodbye, love."

"Bye!" He waved to Mrs. Peters enthusiastically.

"It was very nice meeting you, honey. Thank you for playing with me. I hope you can come play again sometime." She smiled warmly down at the little boy.

Stef shook hands with both women.

"Thank you." Speaking to both of them, she looked into Lena's eyes, hoping she was silently communicating her gratitude for her kindness. "Hopefully we'll see you soon." She took Brandon's hand and turned to leave.

"Mommy?" His feet were rooted to the floor, confusion on his face.

"Yes, love?"

"Where's Daddy?"


End file.
